Amnesty International has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Kwalela Kafunya, a medical doctor who is entering his second year in prison in Zambia on charges of “insulting the president Edgar Lungu.”
Kwalela Kafunya, who has been in detention since 8 May 2017, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment on 10 January 2018 after a grossly unfair trial.
His arrest followed allegations that he had made derogatory comments about the president on Facebook.
Amnesty International’s Regional Director for Southern Africa Deprose Mochena said, “Dr Kwalela Kafunya has committed no crime yet he has not set foot outside of prison for more than a year.”
Mochena further said the Zambian authorities are using social media as a tool to crack down on freedom of expression.
